Conveyer with adjustable hopper



2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 i n i i i i i i NOW 25 1952 J. P. CARROLL ET AL coNvEYER WITH ADJUSTABLE HOPPER Filed May 25, 195o INVENTORS Jas-EPH .R 042,90, 650265 H. mer/N,

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Patented Nov. 25, 1952 OFFICE CONVEYER WITH ADJUSTABLE HOPPER Joseph P. Carroll and George H. Martin, Lakin, Kans.

Application May 23, 1950, Serial No. 163,648

(Cl. ISS- 53) 2 Claims.

This invention relatesv to conveyor assemblies, and more particularly to a conveyor assembly for moving bulk material, such as grain, from a truck or wagon to a storage space, such as a grain binand for similar purposes.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved conveyor assembly including a readily portable, wheel mounted hopper which can be easily positioned to receive grain from a dump truck body and can be adjustably tilted to properly position the hopper relative to the truck body, which also includes a boot or receiver for a screw conveyor, which boot or receiver is connected to the bottom of the hopper by a universal joint connection so that the screw conveyor can be placed in various positions of inclination, both vertically and horizontally, relative to the hopper to permit placing the hopper in proper position relative to a truck body to receive grain therefrom and extending the screw conveyor from the hopper to a grain storage space, for example, through a conveyor opening or window provided in the wall of a granary building, which conveyor assembly renders it unnecessary to provide a special pit to receive the intake end of the screw conveyor and prevents waste and spilling of the grain, protects the screw conveyor from damage, and may be used, with the boot or receiver removed, as a trailer for transporting bulk material.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with `the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a conveyor assembly illustrative of the invention with a portion of the screw conveyor broken away and omitted;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the conveyor assembly illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the conveyor assembly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a. longitudinal cross-sectional view on the' line l-li of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a, cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 5 5 of Figure'Z; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the complete conveyor assembly shown in operative association with a dump truck for conveying bulk material from the truck body to a storage space.

With continued reference to the drawings, the conveyor assembly includes a hopper IB of inverted, pyramidal shape truncated at its apex end and having both ends open. A rectangular angle iron frame II surrounds and is secured to the upper, larger end of the hopper, and wheel frames are secured to and extend downwardly from the frame rII for supporting the hopper on suitable wheels.

Each of the wheel frames comprises two V- shaped structures, the four structures being designated at I2, I3, I 4 and I5 in Figure 2. The two structures I2 and I3 are both disposed at one side of the hopper and are disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the hub length of a Wheel associated therewith. The two frames I4 and I5 are disposed at the opposite side of the hopper in substantiallyl parallel relationship to each other and are also spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the hub length of the associated Wheel.

As the four frame structures I2, I3, I4 and I5 are substantially identical in construction, a detailed description of only one is considered suiiicient for the purposes of the present disclosure, the frame I2 having been selected for detailed description. This frame comprises two upwardly diverging legs IB and Il, preferably of angle iron, the lower ends of which are contiguous to each other and the upper ends of which are connected to the top frame II at corresponding corners of the latter. Two gusset plates I8 and I9, of triangular shape, are secured to the two legs I6 and I'I at the bottom end of the frame structure I2, the gusset plate H5 being disposed on the outside and the plate I9 on the inner side of the two legs I6 and I1.

The upper edges of the gusset plates I8 and I9 are substantially parallel to the corresponding member of the top frame II, and a cross brace 2B extends between the legs I6 and I1 above the gusset plates I 8 and I 9 and is also substantially parallel to the corresponding member of the top frame. Struts or braces 2| extend between the corresponding legs of the two frame structures I2 and I3 at the respectively opposite ends of the cross-brace 20, and similar struts or braces 22 extend between the corresponding legs of the two frame structures I4 and I5 at the respectively opposite ends of the cross brace in the structure l5 corresponding to the cross brace 20 described above.

Suitable diagonal braces 23 extend from the mid-length locations of the end members of the rectangular top frame II to the adjacent legs of the inner wheel mounting frame structures I3 and I intermediate the length of such legs to firmly maintain the wheel carrying frames at the opposite sides of the hopper substantially perpendicular to the top frame II.

The gusset plates I8 and I9 are provided near their lower ends with aligned apertures to receive a wheel axle 24, and the gusset plates on the frame structure I3 are provided with corresponding apertures for receiving the same axle. A rubber tired wheel is journaled on the axle 24 and disposed between the frame structures I2 and I3. The gusset plates at the lower ends of the frame structures I4 and I5 are apertured to receive a wheel axle 26 and a rubber tired wheel 21 is journaled on the axle 26 between the frame structures I4 and I5. The two wheels 25 and 21 support the hopper so that the bottom end of the hopper is disposed above the ground a distance sulcient to permit a screw conveyor receiver being placed below the hopper between the wheels 25 and 21 and connected to the bottom end of the hopper by a universal joint connection.

A pair of parallel and spaced apart lugs 28 is secured to the outer side of one of the legs of the frame structure I3, and a similar pair of lugs is secured to the outer side of the corresponding leg of the frame structure I4, the lugs being secured to the frame legs intermediate the lengths of the latter and substantially at the level of the cross brace 23. These lugs are apertured near their outer ends to receive a tongue attaching bolt 2S.

A tongue 36 is provided at its front end with a hitch clevice 3| and is provided at its rear end with a pair of arms 32 which diverge symmetrically in a direction away from the corresponding end of the tongue and are provided near their distal ends with apertures receiving the bolt 29,

so that the bolt 29 pivotally connects the tongue to the hopper frame. The apertured end of each arm 32 is preferably disposed between the two lugs of the corresponding pair of lugs to definitely position the tongue arms relative to the frame, and the portion of the bolt 29 intermediate the inner lugs is preferably received in a spacer tube 33.

An arm 34 is pivotally connected at one end to the tongue 35, at the end of the latter from which the arms 32 diverge, by a pivotal connection 35, and a complementary arm 35- is pivotally connected to the corresponding end member of the upper frame I I by a pivotal connection 31 located approximately at the mid-length location of the frame member. The arms 34 and 36 are provided respectively with series of spaced apart apertures extending longitudinally thereof, and a bolt 38 is extended through selected registering apertures in the two arms to adjustably connect the tongue to the upper frame of the hopper, so that the hopper can be tilted to various selected angles relative to the tongue.

The frame is further reinforced by suitable gusset plates 40 connected between the legs of the outer frame structures I2 and I5, and the corresponding side members of the top frame I I, and by gusset plates 4I connecting the legs at the opposite sides of the two frame structures I2 and I3 and at the two opposite sides of the frame structures I4 and I5, to render the wheel carrying frame structures more rigid and more rigidly connected to the top frame I I of the hopper.

The opening 42 in the smaller, lower end of the pyramidal-shaped hopper is square or rectangular, as particularly shown in Figure 3, and a circular plate is secured 'to the outside of the hopper at the smaller end thereof and provided with a rectangular opening which registers with the bottom opening 42 in the hopper. The plate 43 is provided near its periphery with angularly spaced apart apertures, and a ring 44 of substantially the same outside diameter as the plate 43 and provided with corresponding, angularly spaced apart apertures is secured to the plate 43 by the bolts 45, spacing sleeves 46 surrounding the bolts between the plate 43 and the ring 44 to maintain the ring spaced from the plate. A hollow body 41 having partly circular end walls which are spaced apart and substantially parallel to each other and arcuately curved or partly cylindrical side walls joined at their ends to the end walls, is cut away on its top and bottom sides chordally of its side walls to provide two openings disposed one at the top and one at the bottom of the body. The top opening in the body is surrounded by a circular flange 48, which iiange is received between the ring 44 and the plate 43, and is rotatable in the space between the ring and the plate relative to the hopper, so that the body 41 can turn about an axis which substantially coincides with the axis of the pyramidal hopper perpendicular to the plane of the larger end of the hopper.

An elongated tubular receiver 53, preferably of cylindrical shape and dimension to receive the intake end of a standard or conventional screw conveyor 5I, is disposed immediately below the body 41 and is provided in its side wall with an opening which communicates with the bottom opening in the body 41. A socket structure 52 extends outwardly from the receiver surrounding three sides of the intake opening in the receiver, and this socket structure receives the lower portion of the body 41. The side walls of the socket structure and the side walls of the body 41 are provided with registering apertures which receive pivot pins or bolts 53 by means of which the receiver 50 is pivotally connected to the body 41 for turning movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis about; which the body 41 turns relative to the hopper I0.

With this arrangement, when the hopper assembly is operatively positioned on its wheels, the receiver 50 can be swung relative to the hopper in both vertical and horizontal planes.

The inlet opening in the receiver 50 is located near one end of the receiver, and this end of the receiver is closed by a flanged cap 54, particularly illustrated in Figure 5. The cap 54 is held in closing position on the rear end of the receiver 50 by a cross bar 55 which extends diametrically of the cap 54 and is provided near each end with an aperture. Two apertured lugs 56 are secured to the receiver at diametrically opposite sides of the receiver and at a location spaced from the rear end of the receiver and bolts 51 extend respectively through the lugs 5S and through the apertures in the cross bar and are provided with wing nuts 58 for clamping the cap onto the receiver.

The tubular receiver 50 is open at its other or front end and telescopically receives the intake end of the casing of the screw conveyor 5I.

The screw conveyor comprises an elongated tubular casing having a spiral screw extending longitudinally through and rotatable therein. This screw conveyor is mounted on a truck BIJ supported on wheels 6I and carrying an upstanding post 62. A collar 63 is secured on the conveyor casing near the outlet end of the screw conveyor, and this collar is connected by suitable tackle 54 to the upper end of the post 62 and to a winch G5 for raising and lowering the outlet end of the screw conveyor. Braces 66 and 61 are laeiaaia provided between the screw conveyor casing or housing and the truck 60 to rmly support the screw conveyor on the truck, and the screw or worm of the conveyor is driven by an engine 58 mounted on a platform 69 and carried by the post B2. As the construction of the screw conveyor itself is old and well known, a more detailed description of this device is considered unnecessary for the purposes of the present disclosure.

With the above-described construction, the screw conveyor 5I can be swung relative to the hopper l i) in both vertical and horizontal planes, so that the hopper can be properly aligned with the rear end of a truck body, and, at the same time, the discharge end of the screw conveyor can be inserted through a conveyor opening in a building wall. At the same time, the hopper lil can be tilted to properly adjust the end of the hopper remote from the screw conveyor to the height of a vehicle body.

By removing the receiver 50 and placing a closure plate in the bottom of the hopper to close the opening l2 and connecting the tongue 39 to a suitable towing vehicle, the hopper assembly can be used as a trailer for conveying bulk material.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A conveyor assembly comprising a hopper of inverted pyramidal shape truncated at its apex, a frame secured to said hopper and extending therebelow, wheels journaled on said frame supporting said frame and said hopper, a screw conveyor receiver disposed below said hopper and comprising an elongated hollow body having one open end and its other end closed and having an intake opening in the side thereof adjacent its closed end, and means connecting said receiver to said hopper for swinging movement of said receiver in various directions relative to said hopper and with the intake opening in said receiver in communication with the interior of said hopper through the smaller end of the latter, said means connecting said receiver to said hopper comprising a circular plate secured to said hopper at the smaller end of the latter and provided with an opening registering with the opening in the smaller end of said hopper, a ring secured to said Cri plate and spaced therefrom, a rounded hollow body having openings in respectively opposite sides thereof and having a flange surrounding one of said openings and rotatably received between said plate and said ring, a socket formation on said receiver receiving a portion of said hollow body around the other opening in the latter, and means pivotally connecting said socket formation to said hollow body, said receiver being pivotally movable relative to said hopper about axes disposed substantially perpendicular to each other.

2. A conveyor assembly comprising a hopper of inverted pyramidal shape truncated at its apex, a frame secured to said hopper and extending therebelow, wheels journaled on said frame supporting said frame and said hopper, a screw conveyor receiver disposed below said hopper and comprising an elongated hollow body having one open end and its other end closed and having an intake opening in the side thereof adjacent its closed end, and means connecting said receiver to said hopper for swinging movement of said receiver in various directions relative to said hopper and with the intake opening in said receiver in communication with the interior of said hopper through the smaller end of the latter, said means connecting said receiver to said hopper comprising a circular plate secured to said hopper at the smaller end of the latter and provided with an opening registering with the opening in the smaller end of said hopper, a ring secured to said plate and spaced therefrom, a rounded hollow body having openings in respectively opposite sides thereof and having a flange surrounding one of said openings and rotatably received between said plate and said ring, a socket formation on said receiver receiving a portion of said hollow body around the other Opening in the latter, and means pivotally connecting said socket formation to said hollow body, said receiver being pivotally movable relative to said hopper about axes disposed substantially perpendicular to each other, and said receiver comprising an elongated tubular body of cylindrical shape and a closure cap detachably secured on one end of said body.

JOSEPH P. CARROLL. GEORGE H. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,360,069 Marvin Oct. 10, 1944 2,490,971 Lawson et al Dec. 13, 1949 

